I've Decided To Be This Tyrant's Dark Moonlight - Chapter 94

Wei Ying lifted her chin and pressed down with a kiss.

Ever since they had confessed their feelings, the two had found much joy in a certain matter, always lingering in each other’s embrace. Propping herself up on the bed, Wei Ying gave a little smile. “Your Majesty just now looked at her for four seconds, didn’t you?”

Yunshao didn’t know what a “second” was, but she was clever enough to realize this was bad news. Her body shrank back slightly. “Yingying?”

Wei Ying: “Four times then?”

…

By the time Yunshao’s face was streaked with tears and she began to beg for mercy, she secretly regretted it—she should have just killed that woman.

Clinging to Wei Ying’s shoulder, she whispered, “Yingying, slower.”

Wei Ying: “Am I not enough for you?”

Yunshao bit her lip and gave her a wounded look.

Just then, a familiar voice rang outside:

Eunuch Fushou cried anxiously, “Lord Guo, you cannot go in! You mustn’t!”

Gong Hongbo gave a cold snort, shoving the eunuch aside. “The affairs of state are urgent. Can you take responsibility if matters are delayed? Where is His Majesty?”

Fushou: “His Majesty, His Majesty…”

Gong Hongbo strode past, pushing the doors open. “Your Majesty?”

The Hall of Mental Cultivation was empty and in disarray, memorials scattered across the floor.

He bent down, picked up a folded memorial, and frowned. Inwardly, he thought, For it to be left in such chaos, is there no one to tidy this place? He gathered two memorials and was about to place them back on the desk when he suddenly heard noises from behind the bed curtains.

The golden yellow canopy swayed faintly, embroidered dragons and phoenixes glimmering as they shifted with the movement.

Realizing something was off, Gong Hongbo looked that way and called out: “Your Majesty?”

After a moment, a hoarse imperial voice came from within: “Teacher, you should leave first.”

Gong Hongbo’s expression darkened. “Your Majesty, what are you doing?”

Inside, there was movement, then after a long pause, the emperor spoke again: “Withdraw!”

Gong Hongbo’s body trembled slightly. “Does Your Majesty understand? If Beijue invades, the northwest faces drought, and the people are suffering, and yet here… here you are… Such depravity! Simply outrageous!”

The curtains shook even more violently, the golden embroideries of dragons and phoenixes entwining in the dim light.

A woman’s voice drifted out from within: “Your Majesty, focus…”

Gong Hongbo’s face alternated red and pale, and finally he barked angrily, “Your Majesty, you are truly a debauched ruler!”

With that, he stormed out.

“Debauched ruler?” Wei Ying leaned close, pressing Yunshao beneath her, smiling softly. “Do you think Lord Guo knows what the supreme emperor is really doing?”

Yunshao’s eyes brimmed with tears, gazing at her through a mist, lower lip bitten blood-red.

Wei Ying continued, “Teacher? Call me that.”

Yunshao’s lips curved faintly as she murmured softly, “Teacher.”

Wei Ying’s heart trembled at the sound. She kissed Yunshao’s eyes, smiling. “Good girl. Teacher will dote on you.”

Yunshao: “How will Teacher dote on me?”

Wei Ying asked: “How does Your Majesty wish to be doted on?”

Yunshao tilted her head, her supple waist arching, imitating a familiar pose of Wei Ying’s.

Yunshao: or2.

Perky little emperor, waiting for pats!

Wei Ying: …

After they had finished tossing about in bed, dusk had already fallen. Yunshao, satisfied, climbed down with Wei Ying, and they bathed, dressed, and ate together.

Seeing it was so late, Wei Ying decided not to return to Yulu Hall but instead curled up on the dragon bed with a storybook. Yunshao rolled up her sleeves, full of energy once more, and returned to reviewing memorials.

Deep into the night, Wei Ying yawned, poking her head out from the bed curtains.

Yunshao glanced over, smiling. “Yingying, ready to sleep?”

Wei Ying hummed in reply. “Your Majesty should rest early too, don’t tire yourself too much.”

Her brows arched in a smile, Yunshao set down her brush, walked to the bedside, and bent down for a goodnight kiss.

Wei Ying brushed her lips lightly against hers, then immediately withdrew, pulling the curtains shut. “Sleep! Court dismissed!”

Yunshao couldn’t help but laugh softly, returning to her desk. After finishing the memorials, she sat in thought for a long time, gazing at the dragon bed. At last she called out, “Yingying?”

After confirming Wei Ying was asleep, she summoned Fushou and asked, “How did that woman end up staying in the palace?”

Fushou had already investigated earlier that day. “Your Majesty, I had her seized and interrogated. That group of beauties was originally dismissed and sent back, but this woman secretly swapped herself into the roster of palace maids. What’s more, she wasn’t even one of the tributary beauties in the first place.”

Yunshao frowned. “And that was enough to let her stay?”

Fushou bowed his head. “She had help from within the palace.”

Yunshao gave a cold laugh. “The Empress Dowager?”

Fushou: “Your Majesty is truly perceptive. I too thought of this. But the Empress Dowager resides in her Buddhist hall, chanting scriptures—why would she meddle in such matters?”

At the mention of “Buddhist hall,” Yunshao frowned faintly, realizing she had guessed wrong. She asked, “The Western Empress Dowager then?”

Fushou nodded. “Yes. Perhaps the Dowager happened upon her and felt her face was… familiar, so she kept her in the palace. But Your Majesty, do not let this harm your relationship with her.”

Yunshao propped her chin in thought. “Did you extract anything more from her?”

Fushou sighed. “She refused to say anything else.”

Yunshao’s face was calm. “Then drag her out and behead her.”

Fushou froze, lifting his head in surprise. Would His Majesty really kill her, even though she so resembles that old figure from the past?

But Yunshao suddenly seemed to think of something, her finger poking her cheek, her face flushing slightly, lips curving upward. Softly she said, “But Yingying hasn’t been this passionate for so long… maybe better not to kill her yet.”

Fushou: ^-^

His little Majesty is so cute. Truly, only Beauty Ying can handle her.

“Understood, Your Majesty. As you command.”

Yunshao added, “Place eyes and ears near both Dowagers. I want to see what schemes my two royal mothers are plotting.” With a wave, she dismissed Fushou, then lifted the curtains, slipped into bed beside Wei Ying, and held the girl close.

As the days passed, Wei Ying pondered the next major plot point.

In the palace drama, the next great event was the Noble Consort’s death. But before that, several plot threads intertwined—such as Beijue’s invasion, two generals falling in battle, and the Noble Consort losing her support, falling out of favor, and being cast into the Cold Palace.

Dog emperor.

Wei Ying cursed silently, then lowered her head, tugging the girl asleep in her arms closer.

She could not allow General Pei’s father and brother to die—whether for the sake of the nation, or to protect her friend.

But the book had given little detail on why such seasoned commanders would suddenly fall on the battlefield. She only vaguely remembered that old General Pei’s army was annihilated at a place called Jiaming Pass.

To find out, Wei Ying sought out Pei Que and questioned her about the frontier. At last, she pieced things together.

That location had towering cliffs on both sides, narrow in the middle—a perfect place for an ambush. Wei Ying couldn’t fathom how Old General Pei would have ended up there. Still, she warned both the emperor and Pei Que, telling her to write a letter to caution the general not to charge recklessly into Jiaming Pass.

Pei Que laughed. “Yingying, no need to worry. Everyone knows this. Besides, Jiaming Pass is guarded by our forces, there’s nothing to fear. Every spring the Beijue come raiding—it’s as normal to them as eating and sleeping. I don’t believe their talk of peace for a moment.”

Shrugging, Pei Que added, “The northern lands are barren, frozen soil stretching for thousands of li. They can’t grow crops, so all they can do is raid for food.” She patted Wei Ying’s shoulder. “But we’ll just drive them back. My father will be fine. Don’t be afraid!”

Wei Ying stared at the Noble Consort’s blind confidence in silence.

Pei Que shifted back uneasily. Was it just my imagination, or did Yingying look terrifying just now?

Xiao Qianxue, ever the expert in deciphering Wei Ying’s micro-expressions, immediately noticed. She jumped between them and said, “Yingying, why are you being so fierce!”

Wei Ying said nothing.

How could she tell the Noble Consort that, according to the plot, her father was fated to die soon?

Suddenly, Xiao Qianxue’s eyes widened. “Don’t tell me—you foresaw something? Old General Pei will be defeated at Jiaming Pass?”

Pei Que reflexively retorted, “My father would never be defeated. My father…” Her words trailed off as her expression grew serious. She looked at Wei Ying. “Did you really divine something?”

Wei Ying stroked Xiao Qianxue’s head in praise—“Smart girl”—then nodded to Pei Que. With a sage-like air, she said, “Last night I gazed at the stars. I saw the general’s star dimming. It foretells calamity for General Pei.”

The color drained from Pei Que’s face. “Truly?”

Wei Ying nodded.

Pei Que turned quickly to the desk and began writing a letter. Halfway through, she stopped, her brows furrowing. With a firm face she said, “No. I must leave the palace.”

Xiao Qianxue: “Great! I’ll go too!”

Wei Ying tried to stop them—after all, she was bound by a palace intrigue system and couldn’t step outside. Besides, she had commanded troops before; if she rushed out now, it would only be handing herself to Beijue as a hostage. But Pei Que’s skill in command and Xiao Qianxue’s familiarity with Yunzhou terrain, not to mention her heroine’s halo… it didn’t seem too risky.

So Wei Ying said, “Very well. Qianxue can go home, and Noble Consort, you haven’t seen your father in years. A little journey outside to visit family and travel—it’ll be good.”

Pei Que hesitated. “But… how will I leave the palace?”

Wei Ying smiled. “Don’t worry. Leave that to me.”

Xiao Qianxue’s eyes curved, finger at her lips. “All you need to do is ask His Majesty, Yingying! Oh, do you remember that palace maid I told you about?”

Wei Ying raised a brow. “Oh?”

Xiao Qianxue turned, playing with the peach blossoms on the desk. Since that day, every time she came to Bao Yun Palace she would bring a branch of the most delicate blooms. Pei Que always refused them, but Xiao Qianxue insisted, sticking them in the vase by the window.

“You should be careful. His Majesty…” She hesitated, lifted her eyes to Wei Ying, then lowered them again. In a small voice she said, “That palace maid has been working in the laundry bureau, yet His Majesty has gone to see her several times.”

Wei Ying only said “Oh,” smiling faintly as her fingers crushed the peach petals into fragments.

Pei Que unobtrusively shifted to shield the vase of abused blossoms. With forced nonchalance, she said, “So what if they’ve met a few times? Didn’t His Majesty also see me every day before? But after you entered the palace, she’s hardly come to Bao Yun Palace at all.”

Wei Ying and Xiao Qianxue fell silent: …

Pei Que patted Wei Ying’s shoulder. “You’ll get used to it.”

Xiao Qianxue waved her hand. “No no, it’s not like that! His Majesty clearly likes Yingying the most. And besides, that palace maid is way too suspicious. How could someone that beautiful be just a maid?”

Pei Que arched a brow. “There are plenty of pretty palace maids. You and I were simply lucky to be elevated.”

Xiao Qianxue shook her head vigorously. “No, no! You’ll see if you look yourself. With beauty like hers, there’s no way she’s just a maid.”

Pei Que wanted to argue further, but Wei Ying chuckled. “Then let’s go have a look?”

Xiao Qianxue blinked her big eyes.

Wei Ying took her hand and strode out. “Let’s go.”

At the laundry bureau, a beauty knelt by the water, washing clothes with her head lowered.

The group crouched behind a wall, peeking.

The beauty wore plain palace maid garb, her hair in twin buns. Her skin was like snow, her features bright yet soft. Though clad in rough, simple clothes, on her it looked as if she wore robes of cloud and brocade, fluttering in the breeze.

Xiao Qianxue was instantly smitten, clutching her chest with a little gasp. “Siiip—”

Pei Que: “Sss—bah! Utterly ordinary, nothing special.”

Xiao Qianxue pouted. “She’s clearly gorgeous! But… it’s strange. She lacks the air of a true beauty. Not like the great beauty Yingying once brought, who didn’t even need to show her face to radiate brilliance.”

Pei Que sneered. “You think you know beauty?”

Xiao Qianxue grinned. “Of course! I used to sit and admire beauties all the time. My mother said, the more you look at lovely people, the lovelier you’ll become.”

Pei Que laughed. “What nonsense.”

Xiao Qianxue turned to Wei Ying. “Yingying, don’t you think she’s especially beautiful too?”

Wei Ying smiled. “Thank you.”

If someone praised her stand-in for looking like her, she’d just take it as praise for herself!

Xiao Qianxue blinked in confusion. “Eh?”

Wei Ying explained as she walked slowly into the laundry bureau. She looked at the beauty not far away and, with hidden meaning in her words, asked, “Where are you from?”

The beauty’s eyes widened in shock. She quickly replied, “I’m definitely not a spy from Beijue!”

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